The present invention concerns a display system for a motor vehicle.
A known display device includes a programmable display matrix for a decorative molding of the vehicle door, with which characters and symbols can be represented. A display device of this type is known from DE 10 2008 016 375 A1.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a display system for a motor vehicle which can easily convey relevant vehicle data to a user who is not in the motor vehicle.
This and other objects are achieved by a display system for a motor vehicle having a display and a control unit for controlling the display, which control unit is adapted to receive vehicle data via an interface and to represent the vehicle data on the display. The display is mounted on an outer area of the body of the motor vehicle. Here, “outer area” means an area outside of the interior of a passenger compartment.
The outer area of the body can be seen easily by a person who is outside of the motor vehicle.
Due to this, a person, e.g. before/during entering, during/after exiting, before/during/after loading, or before/during/after performing maintenance work, can easily read motor vehicle data without that person having to assume a position within the vehicle, e.g. the position of the driver.
The control unit can receive the vehicle data by way of the interface via cable but also without cable. A representation of the vehicle data on the display by the control unit can be rendered via characters or graphical symbols. The interface can be a component of the display system.
Vehicle data can be any data which are from the motor vehicle and can be provided by the vehicle, such as vehicle information or vehicle status data. Vehicle information means, for example, an indication of a manufacturer, a vehicle type, an owner, technical data, and so on.
According to a further development of the invention, the display system includes a switching device which serves for switching the display system. The switching device can be actuated by releasing a vehicle lock mechanism and/or by moving a movable body element.
The switching device of the display system can use a switching device already present in the motor vehicle for other purposes, or can include, a switching device especially intended for the display system, whose switching information can be used by the control unit for the switching on and off of the display or the control unit itself.
The switching device can be adapted to switch off the display system in a locking position of the vehicle closing mechanism. The switching device can also be adapted to switch on the display system in a release position of the vehicle closing mechanism.
Alternatively or as an additional condition, the switching device can also be adapted to switch off the display system in a closed position of the movable body element and to switch on the display system in an open position of the movable body element.
It is also possible that the display system is switched on if the vehicle closing mechanism is released, but is switched off once again on subsequent closing of a movable body element, although the vehicle closing mechanism is not in the locking position.
Thus, the display system saves energy because it is only in operation when the display is justified by vehicle data.
According to an additional aspect of the invention, the control unit is adapted in such a manner that it can receive and represent, i.e. visualize, the vehicle status data.
Vehicle status data are of particular interest to a person who is not in the vehicle body because these data enable immediate action without the person having to be in the motor vehicle or having to get into the motor vehicle.
For example, the vehicle status data can indicate the state of closure of body apertures. The state of closure can, for example, mean a display to the effect that a body aperture is still not closed such as a trunk lid being in an open state. Thus, the person can take countermeasures and close the body aperture. The person can act before she/he assumes a position in the vehicle or after she/he has left the vehicle.
A body aperture in the sense of the invention can be an aperture which is an open window, an open roof, or an open movable body element.
Furthermore, the vehicle status data can relate to the range of the motor vehicle. Thus, a person can, for example, be informed even before getting into the vehicle of whether the range is sufficient for the planned trip.
Furthermore, the vehicle status data can be data regarding the level of filling with operating fluids, such as, for example, an oil level, a window cleaning fluid level, a coolant level, and a tire air pressure. Thus, even before getting into the vehicle the driver has the ability to determine the filling levels of operating fluids as well as their deviation from a theoretical status and to take countermeasures in order to restore the theoretical status.
Furthermore, the vehicle status data can relate to the level of charge in a battery, in particular in an electric vehicle.
Furthermore, the actual load of the motor vehicle can be displayed as vehicle status data, whereby, for example, during a loading process of the motor vehicle it can be displayed to a person whether a permissible or recommended maximum load has already been reached.
Furthermore, the display system described above can display all the aforementioned vehicle status data and additional vehicle data/vehicle status data simultaneously or in sequence in different views.
In an additional development according to the invention, the display of the display system is disposed in a lockable access area of the body. In particular the lockable access area in a closed state is covered by a movable body element and in an open state is freely visible from outside the body.
Thus, the display is disposed in an area protected with respect to environmental conditions and external mechanical stress. Furthermore, the vehicle data are thus not visible to everyone, but rather only to persons who are authorized to open the movable body element.
Movable body elements in the sense of the present invention can be vehicle doors such as a passenger door, a driver door, or a rear door, loading hatches such as a trunk lid, machinery lids such as an engine hood, supply flaps such as a fuel tank flap, and so on.
The lockable access area can be an entrance area of an opened door of the motor vehicle. In particular the display can be disposed on a lateral sill. Furthermore, the lockable access area can be a loading area of an opened loading hatch. In particular, in this case the display can be disposed on a loading sill. Furthermore, the lockable access area can be a body element in a machinery compartment behind a machinery flap.
The above-described display system according to the invention can furthermore be individually programmable. The programming can, for example, be done by one person via an input system such as an on-board computer.
Furthermore, the above-described display system according to the invention can be embodied so that it can be operated by touching the display, where the display has a touch-sensitive surface. Thus, a person can change the displayed information with regard to vehicle data so that, for example, other vehicle data are displayed.
The above-described extensions of the present invention can be combined with one another arbitrarily.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.